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The Colony
The Colony is a permanent, walled settlement cobbled together from various discarded construction materials and quarried stone. It is located eight miles West South West of Ousho City. It is one of the few permanent settlements in the region generally referred to as the slums, and by far the largest. It acts as a refuge for individuals with strong anti-establishment mindsets, who would otherwise find themselves the potential targets of police investigation. Artists, punks and so-called "Free Thinkers" are common character types associated with its population, all of which live in abject poverty. Operation and Internal Society The Colony is most easily described as a punkish Anarchist commune. There is no discernible, official government but as of 2310 there is a single known headman and his assistants - the Colonial Council. It is based around the concepts of Anarcho-Communism. Residents work together to produce most of the things they need. Food growing, water collecting and brewing are done communally, with every member being theoretically required to learn how to do each of these well. Food production is the central focus of the colony. While the yeast and mushroom farms produce enough to support the population and both water and beer are available, little else is available. Vegetables are grown in cobbled together hydroponics facilities, but as modern plants don't produce seeds, it is a costly process - seeds, being a hobby item in the city, aren't exactly cheap or readily available. Other items like clothing manufacture are typically done by the individual, to suit individual needs. Parenting is distributed. It takes a village to raise a child, and here it is practiced literally. Once a child is able to walk and provide some basic communication, they pretty much cease to be a woman's child and become a full on resident, cared for by whoever takes it in that day. In this way, it learns how much is done throughout the commune. Some of the more stealth-skilled residents operate as scavengers, breaking into warehouses and stealing or (most commonly) combing through waste dumps to recover usable goods. These people most often form teams for mutual support. Some operate vehicles (ranging from cobbled together buggies to recovered or stolen cars and vans), using these to haul scrap in and haul various goods out. Goods brought in are collected, sorted and examined by craftsmen. What can be fixed is fixed, what can be made is made. From these, what the community needs the community keeps - excess is carted off to trade with other slum residents. Colony-brewed beverages (typically rum and Marchite) are smuggled into the city and given to a number of drinking establishments in exchange for supplies, favors and information. Being as it is generally disconnected from the wireless and based around a money-free economy, money has no use out here. All citizens can pull goods from the community depot, where a log is kept of all inputs and outputs. The settlement is self-policing. You watch your own back or get a group of friends to help you watch your back. If someone manages to overtake you, such is life. Rampant theft or murder streaks are kept in check with a sort of mob justice, from which there is no escape. Drug use is fairly rampant. Corporate Policy The Corporation has no officially stated interest in The Colony, treating it (like the rest of the denizens of the slums) as if it didn't exist. Assaulting, arresting, codifying and identifying the estimated 800 "residents" would be expensive, not to mention the potential loss of life should the rumors of their being armed ring true. If the residents are criminal in nature, best they stay away from the city, or be captured within the city on the Corporation's own terms. It is thought, but not confirmed, that The Colony may be producing illegal firearms or bladed weapons. The theory has little support within the Corporate Police Agency, as the commune lacks access to electricity. Interaction with the Corporation The Colony has, on at least two separate occasions, sued the Corporation for recognition as a self-governing micro-nation. It has been rejected both times. Popular Reception The general city population pay little attention to the Colony, if they're even fully aware of its existence. It is popularly painted as a haven for criminals and Luddites way beyond the accepted norm of "punk" and "counter-cultural". It is sometimes spoken of as if it were a cultist compound, and many strange tales regarding everything from self-mortification to human sacrifice is sometimes attributed to it. Parents aware of it sometimes frighten their children into good behavior by threatening to send them off to the Colony. Awareness of The Colony has increased in the wake of bombings by the Ousho City Liberation Front. Category:Broken Ambition Category:Ousho City